


A body without a heart

by aerascreamer



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: A body without a heart, Angst, Apex Games, Apex Legends, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Death, Fanfiction, Gen, Short Story, Spiritual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerascreamer/pseuds/aerascreamer
Summary: New season, new competitor.But this time, "the new guy" couldn't be more different than any of the Legend.Revenant never interacted with anyone, leaving the dormitory early to go we don't know where.And if he has to talk to someone, it's either with anger or despises.The first game of the new season is gonna be full of surprises
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this post: https://aerascreamer.tumblr.com/post/190712456436/thinking-about-this-recently-but-what-if

The repetitive hits of Artur's beak on their cheek woke up Bloodhound nested in a hammock.

Above the treetops, the sky blushed in various shades of white, orange, pink and peach as the sun went up, while the fresh wind pushed the scent of the forest to the hunter's nose who detected mushrooms, moss, and flowers.

Disconcerted to find themselves in the middle of the branches and leaves, they remember in flash images to have sneak out of the dormitory late at night.

Speaking of which, the hunter could see one of the windows between two dead trees.

"Is Revenant behind it, staring in my direction?" They thought, gently petting the crow, listening to him singing along the other birds.

Since the robot joined the Apex Games, an oppressive atmosphere enveloped the place, leaving the hunter in constant disturb.

It prevented them from sleeping on their two ears so they decided to guard the corridors, sometimes all night and at the cost of poor reactivity the following day.

But with the new season right around the corner, they needed as much rest as possible...

Fortunately, they could count on Wraith's sixth sense or Crypto's surveillance drone to keep an eye on everyone.

"Caw?"

"Yes, you'll have holly berries later. Also, you need to do more exercises or you're gonna get fat."

"CAW!!"

****

The growls coming from the spaceship's motor echoed in all the rooms of the vehicle.

Tension ruled over the Legends' soul, as they approached the arena World's Edge.

With Lifeline's help, Bloodhound clipped their jetpack on their back right before Octane interrupted them.

"Sure you haven't seen my protection glasses?"

"No Octane, it's the third time you asked me."Bloodhound replied.

"Wait you lost them again?"

Lifeline raised one of her eyebrows with a judging glare.

"I... Guess?"

Both looked at the roof of the dropship in exasperation as the daredevil ran back to his room turned upside down.

"Come on I need them now! We're dropping in one minute!!" He exclaimed while stamping on his feet.

"You know what, take my spare ones and leave me alone." The hunter offered as they headed to their quarter.

They quickly grabbed the glasses in their wardrobe and tossed them at the young man.

"Nice! Thank you compadre!"

"Warning, drop zone ahead!" The IA lady announced.

Time has come... the new season has begun.

The new competitors started at the screens hanging in the middle of the ship, hoping to be matched with a veteran fighter like Bangalore or a trustworthy support like Lifeline.

Some faces lightened, others bit their lips.

Bloodhound headed to the descendant platforms, soon joined by Pathfinder.

"Hi, Bloodhound! I'm glad to have you on my team this time." The MRVN greeted, rising his hand.

"Me too felagi."

Although his personality showed friendliness, Pathfinder enjoyed fighting in the arena and his precise shots made him an opponent to never underestimate.

The frozen wind whirled around the Legends as the platforms pierced through the clouds.

"The hunt begins. May the gods bless you."

Out of nowhere, a scarlet figure landed with a loud bang between the two Legends.

It stretched its long smooth arms and looked at the MRVN.

"Revenant! Ready for your first match? I'm sure you-"

"Save me your breath, I work in silence." The newcomer reprimanded with a sharp tone.

He turned his head briskly to the hunter and stared at them with intensity, as he did with everyone.

Although his metal face didn't express any emotions, Bloodhound felt a deep rage and feeling of envy boiling underneath.

Revenant took the time to discover the arena before nosing-down, leaving a sad-screened Pathfinder behind.

The hunter tapped on his shoulder with compassion before the two jumped right into the red silhouette's diving trail.

The shadow of the Harvester projected its darkness on a totally devastated Capitol City.

Stunned by the damage caused to the landscape, Bloodhound couldn't keep their eyes away from the giant scar opened by the lava fissure scorching the earth.

Some buildings in which the hunter used to fight looked like they collapsed from the inside with fires still not extinct, saturating the air of ashes and dust.

The grey clouds filtered the light that shaded the sky in red, gold and orange, darkening the atmosphere.

Nevertheless, Revenant dived headfirst into the lost city, his tall figure blending almost perfectly into the chaos. 

As Bloodhound landed next to him on top of a building standing with courage, the red shadow looked below at a supply bean in the middle of an open field.

"I'm going that way. Don't even think about following me." He warned

"Got it !" The robot went downstairs, oblivious to the bright eyes following his movements.

Watching Revenant dropping, Bloodhound asker themselves how their teammate ended up so full of animosity, especially compared to the blue robot...

Nobody knew where he came from. He popped in the Games like a ghost, without knocking at the qualifier's door.

"Do you need a Sentinel Bloodhound?, Pathfinder asked from a lower level.

"Yes, please."

*****

Revenant moved with silence and fluidity through the grass of a hill.

Following a few meters behind, Pathfinder and Bloodhound discussed the MRVN's journey to find his creator and what he learned on the way.

"And that's why he taught me how to cook Leviathan's meat, the robot concluded, walking with stiff movements.

"Interesting story. It reminds me of that hunt where I took down a Prowler."the hunter remembered.

"A Prowler?! They're really dangerous!"

"Yes but this one was pretty old and lost a paw unfortunately"

A gunshot cut the hunter in their story.

Two enemy squad exchanged fire behind the hill.

Pathfinder took his Peacekeeper and checked his grapple.

"What should we do friends?"

"Let's get closer to have a better view of the situation first"

But without consulting his teammates, Revenant darted in the direction of the fight.

"Wait!" the blue robot turned his to the hunter.

"Follow him." He grappled away.

Bloodhound ran as fast as they could, reached the top of the hill and observed the battlefield through their sniper scope.

Quick and stealthy, Pathfinder already knocked two members from one of the squads behind a large boulder and finished the last opponent with a punch, sparing any unnecessary injuries.

Close to a small house, Revenant fought each member of the second squad at the same time.

Ignoring the bullets hitting his chest like unpleasant mosquitoes, he grabbed a contestant's head, slammed it into a wall, rushed to catch his frightened teammate in order to cut her throat before punching the last member to the ground.

He fought and killed the targets with professional precision, trained... or even created for it without a doubt.

Moving naturally in the battlefield with ease, he glanced at each defeated enemies with an air of superiority, as if they stepped too far into his territory...

A new apex predator has taken the lead in his first try.

A leaf cracked under someone's step.

A fatal mistake.

Bloodhound immediately faced the new opponents coming in their back.

They shoot, hit a disoriented Mirage in the chest and rushed to cover.

Switching for their R-99, they climbed on top of a tall rock and emptied a magazine on Gibraltar who carried his fallen teammate to safety.

Taking the opportunity, Wraith sneaked behind the hunter.

They grabbed her arm, stopping the kunai before it pierced their chest.

She pushed their leg and the two fall on the grass.

Restoring their balance, Bloodhound leaped on the skirmisher and knocked her out.

"One squad... down..."

they panted

"Good job, " Pathfinder congratulated, "We're getting closer to the cham- Oh no! The Ring is closing!"

The hunter saw the giant wall of fire approaching quickly in their direction.

They hissed and started running right away, Pathfinder waiting for them.

Further away, Revenant's blood-red silhouette got smaller and smaller the further he ran.

A hundred knives pierce their lungs with sand rubbing their throat.

Their glasses clouded like in winter, while the breathing mask failed to provide enough oxygen to sustain the prolonged effort.

Bloodhound abruptly got grappled and pulled towards Pathfinder, who took them under his arm before they blacked out.


	2. Equal

During the cold season, the heating system of the dormitory purred above Bloodhound's room each night, singing them to sleep or keeping them company while they read on the bed.

So it was a surprise for the tracker to wake up on the floor of a building from the arena and not in their quarter until they realized they didn't lose the match.

Pathfinder's motor produced the constant rumble that woke them up while the robot remained in complete stillness in the middle of the room.

As the hunter sat with difficulties, he came back to life and headed towards them.   
"How are you friend? He asked with worries.

"I'm fine don't worry. Just not used to run so much, " They replied while taking out a flask,  
"Can I?"

"Oh sure pardon me!"

When sure the MRVN looked away, the tracker took off their mask in a hurry and sipped some water before putting it back.

"Why are you fighting here if your body is so weak?"  
Bloodhound jumped on their feet, looked back and found Revenant sitting on the edge of a window. Wait...sitting?

"I'm not letting my wounds stopping me from fighting for the Allfather. It is a test to see my true potential." They puffed their chest with pride.

"Guess having a metallic body has some advantages..." The robot considered, his hand scratching his jaw.

"What do you-" The hunter's body tense in reaction to a new but familiar buzzing approaching.

"EMP incoming!! RUN!"  
Pathfinder rushed to the exit without hesitation.   
Simultaneously, Revenant pushed himself from the window.  
But despite their reactivity, both got hit by the wave of energy coming from a tiny drone, the echo of their lifeless body hitting the ground ringing in all the building.

Without losing a second, Bloodhound took their weapon and peaked over the window. Two silhouettes headed into the first level.   
The hunter climbed down the stair and aimed at the entrance   
Octane broke in by kicking the door.  
Easy target. One mag, one down.

Lifeline jumped back, caught off guard. She dashed right away to another direction, probably to flank the building.  
The tracker took the main entrance and hid behind a truck.  
Scanning the area, they detected the doctor entering by the second floor.  
Bloodhound waited for her to walk passed the entrance...

One more magazine and another down. But no ammo.

Leaving the weapon on the ground, Bloodhound approached the door and heard footsteps coming in.  
Striking like a panther, they took Crypto by surprise and disarmed him.  
The hacker pushed the hunter away and called back his drone, the device hitting them on the back.  
Unphased, they leaped on the man, pinned him down before holding a knife on his throat.

Both out of breath, the two fighters glared at each other coldly.  
But Crypto ended up sighting and declared:  
"Legend Crypto surrendering." The banner on his wrist turned into a sad face with the words better luck next time! highlighted in blue.

Bloodhound let go of their grip and walked away to check on their teammates.  
"Hey, take this. It will wake them up."  
The hunter caught the small device the hacker tossed to them and nodded, thankful.

Turning around the corner, they saw Revenant shut down against the wall.  
They approached him and activated the device.

The silver shadow turned on with a sound similar to a loud gasp.  
On his feet, he put his hands around his chest, checking for a nonexistent heartbeat.  
"What was that ?!" He questioned with a taut voice.

"An EMP sent by Crypto's drone" Bloodhound stepped back to give him space.

"An EMP?"  
The glow of the synthetic nightmare's eye darkened, processing... Before punched the wall with all his strength.

"Why can't I just DIE already!?"

Digging their way in Bloodhound's perplexed mind, the little details he noticed about Revenant came back... like his natural walk, the need to sit or to brush his head, the glares of jealousy he gave to everyone except Pathfinder... Pathfinder who is a true robot.

Then they understood.

"You...you used to be human. Right ?"  
He froze  
"You're not a robot...but a Simulacrum."

In a blink of an eye, the shadow grabbed the hunter by the throat and held them in the air as if they weight no more than a pheasant.  
"One more word... And I'll use your skin as a carpet..."

Despite their heart racing like a mad hummingbird, Bloodhound held Revenant's burning glaze without fighting back.  
Surprised by their lack of reaction, the Simulacrum loosened a little.  
"Aren't you afraid of me?"   
One inch separated his face from the hunter's mask.  
"I...I don't fear...death." They replied with a chocked voice.

Revenant dropped the tracker who rubbed their aching neck.  
He stared at them for a moment, puzzled, and climbed on the roof to watch the horizon with doubt and questions rising like a tide.

Bloodhound scanned the zone and found Pathfinder lying in the middle of a road.   
As they activated the device, the MRVN's chest lightened up, bugging between his angry and happy face.  
"Everything's ok?"

"Yes, don't worry. I really don't like being hit by the EMP, my system is always feeling weird days after it." He tapped on his chest to fix it, without results.

"Feeling ?" Revenant let go of a sarcastic laugh...or at least a grumble close to it.

****

Back in the temporary house of Talos, Bloodhound groomed Artur with their hand and picked up the feathers falling to the ground without a sound  
They sighted with sadness as they counted more and more grey ones than last time.

The clock hanging on the wall displayed 9h00 but everyone already went to bed, leaving the building in dead silence.

Except for the hard stomps of metal feet. 

Putting the crow back in his favorite shoe, the hunter walked to the automatic door and bumped in Revenant's chest armor.   
"My apologies!"  
Only an irritated grunt responded to them.

"Something's wrong?"  
The shadow's blank face expressed nothing, unlike his shimmering eyes troubled by questions.   
He tried to look beneath the mask of the tracker, searching a reason for them to ask with cordiality and detachment towards him.

"You're a weird skin bag." He declared point-blank.  
"Normally everyone would have begged to be spared when threatened."  
Thoughtful, Bloodhound didn't reply rights away, their mind looking for the right word to answer.

"I'm always prepared for my end, " They started with a slow pace,  
"Death... is part of the cycle of nature.  
Everything lives, then everything dies."

"Except for me." Revenant contradicted, bitter.

Artur perched on the hunter's shoulder and puffed his black and grey feathers to intimidate the Simulacrum who didn't even look at him. 

"If your spirit is still down here, it means you haven't fulfilled your purpose here."

"So you think I have a spirit?" His anger started to rise.  
"When that little brain here is made of scrap and bolts?!"  
Revenant hit his metal skull to prove his point, creating a clear sound ringing for a second.

"When I'm a body without a heart?!"  
He scratched his chest, leaving three parallel marks.

Bloodhound covered their ears, bothered with the high-pitched screeching.   
"You still feel hate. There is a reason that makes you move forward.  
And you still have those memories from your past life right? Those are real...

"...And corrupted to the core!"

The shadow's voice distorted in pain, wobbly.  
Behind the faceplate, thousand of reflections made their way in his mind.  
He shook his head, fighting the thoughts, but his hunched shoulders betrayed his exhaustion.

Noticing the changes in Revenant's behavior, Bloodhound offered him to get in their room.  
He hesitated, not used to have someone crazy enough to do this, but accepted.

The hunt trophies and Championship Bookends decorated the walls next to a giant bookshelf full of text from all epochs.  
Swords and knives waited on a table for the owner to choose them, glowing coldly under the candles.  
In contrast, the fur carpets softened the atmosphere and gave the room an old but relaxing look alongside the handmade hammock. 

Revenant instantly noticed the broad window facing the outside.  
The stars shined bright on the deep mantel of the night.  
Even with the latest discoveries made by scientists, secrets still lied in the distant galaxies.  
This powerful sense of mystery called the human more than once, letting them dream since the beginning of time without any exceptions.  
Not even a soul locked in a lifeless body.

"Being in peace with who you are will be a challenge. But once you get over it, you will finally be able to rest."

The silence fell little by little like a leaf plummeted by the autumn wind.   
Bloodhound fell asleep despite the "synthetic nightmare"'s presence, this one gazing at the stars, knees wrapped in his arms close to his chest.


End file.
